US 11,071,619 B2Granted

Coupling assembly for implantable sphincter assistance device

AssigneeCilag GmbH International

InventorsFrederick E. Shelton, IV, Kevin M. Fiebig

Life of this patent

Estimating the term…

Loading patent…

Abstract

An artificial sphincter and method closing the artificial sphincter includes a plurality of bodies, a plurality of links, a coupling body, and a coupling assembly. The plurality of bodies each have respective magnets and are arranged from a first terminal body to a second terminal body. The plurality of links respectively resiliently extend and connect between the plurality of bodies. The coupling body has a first end segment and a second end segment respectively connected to a first terminal link and a second terminal link respectively extending from the first and second end segments. The coupling assembly has a clasp configured to close to form a closed loop and a coupling guide configured to be manipulated to thereby orient portions of the clasp to a predetermined orientation for connection in the connected state.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An artificial sphincter, comprising:

(a) a plurality of bodies including a first terminal body and a second terminal body successively arranged from the first terminal body to the second terminal body, wherein each of the plurality of bodies respectively includes a body magnet such that each of the plurality of bodies are magnetically attracted toward each other;
(b) a plurality of links including a first terminal link and a second terminal link, wherein the plurality of links respectively resiliently extend and connect between the plurality of bodies and the first and second terminal links respectively extend from the first and second terminal bodies;
(c) a coupling body having a first end segment and a second end segment respectively connected to the first and second terminal links wherein the coupling body defines a central longitudinal axis;
and
(d) a coupling assembly, including:
(i) a clasp having a first clasp portion and a second clasp portion respectively on the first and second end segments, wherein the first and second clasp portions are configured to connect together from a disconnected state to a connected state in a predetermined orientation such that the plurality of bodies and the coupling body define a closed loop in a contracted state, wherein the closed loop is configured to resiliently expand from the contracted state toward an expanded state and is biased toward the contracted state, and
(ii) a coupling guide having a first guide portion on the first end segment and a second guide portion on the second end segment, wherein one of the first and second guide portions is configured to be translated along the central longitudinal axis toward the other of the first and second guide portions while in an unlocked configuration and is configured to be subsequently rotated about the central longitudinal axis into locking engagement with the other of the first and second guide portions at the predetermined orientation.

4 more elements

A method of closing an artificial sphincter to form a closed loop, wherein the artificial sphincter includes (a) a plurality of bodies including a first terminal body and a second terminal body successively arranged from the first terminal body to the second terminal body, wherein each of the plurality of bodies respectively includes a body magnet such that each of the plurality of bodies are magnetically attracted toward each other;

(b) a plurality of links including a first terminal link and a second terminal link, wherein the plurality of links respectively resiliently extend and connect between the plurality of bodies and the first and second terminal links respectively extend from the first and second terminal bodies;
(c) a coupling body having a first end segment and a second end segment respectively connected to the first and second terminal links;
and (d) a coupling assembly, including:
(i) a clasp having a first clasp portion and a second clasp portion respectively on the first and second end segments, wherein the first and second clasp portions are configured to connect together along a central longitudinal axis such that the plurality of bodies and the coupling body define a closed loop in a contracted state, wherein the closed loop is configured to resiliently expand from the contracted state toward an expanded state and is biased toward the contracted state, and (ii) a coupling guide having a first guide portion on the first end segment and a second guide portion on the second end segment, the method comprising:
(a) translating the first guide portion relative to the second guide portion along the central longitudinal axis so that the first clasp portion contacts the second clasp portion in an unlocked configuration;
and
(b) subsequently rotating the first guide portion relative to the second guide portion in a first direction about the central longitudinal axis from the unlocked configuration to a predetermined orientation in a locked configuration to connect the first clasp portion to the second clasp portion in the predetermined orientation to form the closed loop around an anatomy of a patient.

4 more elements

An artificial sphincter, comprising:

(a) a plurality of bodies including a first terminal body and a second terminal body successively arranged from the first terminal body to the second terminal body, wherein each of the plurality of bodies respectively includes a body magnet such that each of the plurality of bodies are magnetically attracted toward each other;
(b) a plurality of links including a first terminal link and a second terminal link, wherein the plurality of links respectively resiliently extend and connect between the plurality of bodies and the first and second terminal links respectively extend from the first and second terminal bodies;
(c) a coupling body having a first end segment and a second end segment respectively connected to the first and second terminal links;
and
(d) a coupling assembly comprising:
(i) a clasp including a first clasp portion and a second clasp portion respectively on the first and second end segments, wherein the first and second clasp portions are configured to connect together from a disconnected state to a connected state in a predetermined orientation such that the plurality of bodies and the coupling body define a closed loop in a contracted state, wherein the closed loop is configured to resiliently expand from the contracted state toward an expanded state and is biased toward the contracted state, and
(ii) a coupling guide comprising:
(A) a first rigid projection disposed on an outer periphery of the first end segment, and
(B) a second rigid projection disposed on an outer periphery of the second end segment, wherein the first and second rigid projections are configured to be manipulated by a user relative to each other to thereby orient the first clasp portion and the second clasp portion to the predetermined orientation in the connected state, wherein the first and second rigid projections are spaced apart a distance in the predetermined orientation in the connected state.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/221,813Filed 17 Dec 2018
Published: US 2020/0188081 A118 Jun 2020
Granted: 27 Jul 2021
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

A61F 2/04
Prostheses implantable into the body: hollow or tubular parts of organs, e.g. bladders, tracheae, bronchi or bile ducts
A61B 17/12
Surgical instruments, devices or methods: for ligaturing or otherwise compressing tubular parts of the body, e.g. blood vessels or umbilical cord
A61B 17/12013
Implements for ligaturing other than by clamps or clips, e.g. using a loop with a slip knot: for use in minimally invasive surgery, e.g.…
A61B 17/12099
Occluding by internal devices, e.g. balloons or releasable wires: characterised by the location of the occluder